Q&A with Jonathan Bornstein

MNTFeb 16, 2011

John Todd/isiphotos.com

Jonathan Bornstein has embarked on a new chapter in his career, becoming one of the few U.S. National Team players to play professionally in Mexico following time in Major League Soccer. After five seasons at Chivas USA and two starts in the 2010 FIFA World Cup, the defender chose a change of football, culture and lifestyle when he joined Tigres in January. ussoccer.com spoke with Bornstein about his experiences in the land of the MNT’s biggest rival.

ussoccer.com: How do you like Monterrey so far and where are you staying? Jonathan Bornstein: “I really like the city; it’s actually a beautiful place to drive around. I bought a car and found a really nice area to live. It’s a nice tight-knit community, and there’s a lot of great places to go eat. It’s pretty cool.”

ussoccer.com: How is your Spanish coming along? JB: “It’s coming along pretty well. I’ve been taking classes now for a month, and just living here you have to speak it on a daily basis to get around. If I go to the store I have to speak in Spanish and with my teammates everything is in Spanish, so I’m learning rather quickly. I’d say that I can understand it a lot better than I’m able to speak it. They keep telling me ‘poco a poco’, so I’m in no rush to hurry it along and just taking it day by day in my studies.”

ussoccer.com: How are they playing you? JB: “I’m playing in a position called ‘contención’. It’s a defensive center midfielder, tilted to the left a little bit. It’s a lot different than left full back, but I’m getting used to it. It’s soccer, and I’ve always said it’s a game that you’ve got to adapt to. Once again I find myself learning on the job and kind of starting over at a new position, but I’m enjoying it.”